Holdback.



Patented Aug. 2|, I900. H. SHIBLEY.

HBLDBAGK. (Application filed May 4, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STAES IATENT FFICE.

HARVEY SHIRLEY, OF FONDA, NEW YORK.

HOLD BAG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,272, dated August 21, 1900.

. Application filed May 4, 1900. Serial No. 15,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY SHIBLEY, a

citizen of the United-States,residing at Fonda,

in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Holdback, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in holdbacks'.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of holdbacks and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficientdevice adapted to be readily applied to a shaft or thill and capable of facilitating hitching and unhitching and adapted in event of the breakage of the traces or the whiffletree to release the holdbackstraps automatically and prevent them from catching on it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will re- -main open and in which the spring will be partly in section, the latch being open.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures-of the drawm s.

i designates a holdback comprising a body or bracket 2 and a pivoted latch 3, which is mounted. upon the body and which is adapted to abut against the upper face of a thill 4.to'

. confine a holdback-strap onthe body. .The

body is composed of a base-plate 5, a post 6,

and a brace or guard'7. The post rises from one end of-the base-plate-and inclines forward slightly, as clearly shown in the accompany- ,ing drawings, and the inclined brace or guard extends upward and'forward fromvthe rear portion of the base-plate to the top of the post and is adapted to support the sameand also to prevent a holdback-strap from-wrapping around the post and catchingthereonshould the whiffletree or traces break. The baseplate is provided between its ends with a perforation for the reception of a bolt 8, which passes through the thill and which secures the holdback to the same, and the rear portion of the base-plate is beveled or tapered and is perforated for the reception of a screw 9, which assists in securing the holdback to the thill.

60' The taper or bevel of the rear endof the base-plate avoids the shoulder, so that there is no liability of the holdback-strap hooking upon any portion of the holdback.

The upper end of the combined brace and guard is connected with the extreme upper end of the post, which is rounded and which is provided with a forwardly-extendingdowm wardly-inclined arm 10, having a bifurcation 11 to receive the pivoted latch 3. The pivoted latch 3, which is arranged at an acute angle to the post 6 when the parts are in their normal position, as illustrated in Fig.

1 of the accompanying drawings, has its upper or pivoted end 12 reduced to fit in the bifurcation l1, and the parts are perforated for the reception of a transverse pivot 12. The latch, which is slightly curved, has an inner concave face, to which is secured a spring 13 by a rivet 14 or other suitable fastening device, and the free or upper end of the spring normally engages the inner face 15 of the inclined arm of-the body to hold the latch in its closed position. The free end of the spring is also adapted to engage the outer end of the arm 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, to hold the latch in its open position. By arranging the spring on the interior of the device, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, it 'is not only practically housed and fully protectedybut itis adapted to engage the inner face and the outer end of the arm 10, and it is capable of being readily exposed by swinging the latch upward to the position shown in Fig. 2 should it be necessary to repair or replace it.

The outer or lower end of the latch is provided with a lip or extension 16, which is adapted to bear against the upper face of the thill when the latch is in its closed position, and the upper. end of the latch is pro-' vided with an arm or grip 17,- extending downward and forward and having its upper face forming, practically, a continuation of the upper face of the arm 10 when the latch is closed. lhe arm forms a convenient grip or handle by. which the latch may be readily opened and closed.

The holdback-strap is arranged around the body portion or bracket of the holdback and directly engages the post 6, and in event of a horse becoming detached from the whittletroe the holdbaok-strap will be automatically released a d will be guided over the top of the posts, by the guards and braces. It will also be apparent that the device is simple and compa'rat-iv'ely inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and thatit will facilitate hitching and unhitching a horse or other animal. Furthermore, it will be apparent that while the spring is housed and protected access may be readily had to, it should it be necessary to repair or replace it.

That is claimed is A holdbaok comprising a body or bracket, having a post and provided with an inclined guard, said post being provided at its outer end with an arm extending toward the thill,

a latch pi'voted at one end to the arm and extending longitudinally of the inner faceof the latch and secured at one end to the same and having its free end located at thepivoted end of the latch and arranged to engage the inner face and the outer end of said arm, to hold the latch in its closedand open position, said spring being carried by the latch, whereby it is completely housed within the device when the latch is closed, and is arranged on the exterior of the same to expose it when the latch is open, substantially as described.

In testimony that I'claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HARVEY SIII BLEY.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN W. DAVIS, (1. L. DAVIS. 

